Oran rallies for Class 1 title shot

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Trey Graviett's sixth-inning home run that nearly sailed over the left-field bullpen and out of Taylor Stadium was a sight to see during Wednesday's Class 1 semifinal.

But it was the Oran senior's two-run triple in the seventh inning that finally provided the top-ranked Eagles enough breathing room to advance into tonight's state-championship final with a 7-3 victory over No. 6 Concordia.

After letting leads of 1-0 and 3-1 slip away, Graviett's triple, which turned Concordia right fielder Bryan Sartin every which way, gave Oran (22-2) a 6-3 lead it would not relinquish.

"I thought three runs was enough," said Graviett, who also hurled a five-hit complete game. "Then we got another one, and that was great. I knew we had it then."

But what a long, strange trip to their first state final appearance since 1998 it was for the Eagles.

Struggling in the field and in clutch-hitting situations early in the game, Oran finally found its bearings when the Eagles' powerful lineup started to flex its home-run hitting muscle.

Entering the game with a school-record 51 home runs, the Eagles surprised their coach -- and probably themselves -- by improving on that mark with two mammoth home runs beyond the spacious dimensions of Simmons Field.

"I didn't think home runs would come into play today, but we knocked the hell out of them," Oran coach Mitch Wood said. "We hit about five balls today that in most parks would have gone out."

No ballpark in the state was going to hold back the home runs Graviett and Joey Bickings smashed about 350 feet down the left-field line in the sixth inning off Concordia starter Tristan Engle. Graviett led off the inning with a first-pitch homer off the top of the bullpen wall, and one batter later Bickings placed the first ball he saw from Engle into the bullpen.

"Good God, they hit the ton out of the baseball," Concordia coach Chris Pate said. "You knew from the minute it jumped off the bat, it was gone. They didn't get cheated tonight."

Although teammate Ryne Wood razzed him for using a 32-inch bat instead of a 33-incher, Graviett seemed satisfied with the production he got from an old stick of his.

"I don't know why, but I switched back to my old bat," Graviett said. "I think I'm going to stick with it from now on."

Leading 3-1, Oran's power surge of momentum was short-lived when Concordia (17-3) knotted the score in the bottom of the sixth. Graviett allowed an inning-opening walk and single to the Orioles, and then he moved both runners up a base with a debated balk that brought Mitch Wood out of the dugout to argue.

After a lengthy conference on the mound, which included Oran's infield, Wood and the home-plate umpire, Concordia's Kory McKnight ripped a two-run double down the third-base line to tie the score at 3.

"Sixth inning we got the momentum in our favor a little bit, but I knew we were coming up against their 2, 3 and 4" batters "who had already crushed the ball earlier in the night," Pate said. "I felt confident if we could get the first out with the first batter, but that didn't happen."

Oran No. 8 hitter Garrett Roslen opened the seventh with a single, which set the table for the top of the batting order. After Patrick Friga popped out to the pitcher trying to bunt Roslen over, Nathan Seyer smashed a single to left field to put runners on first and second.

Ryne Wood followed with a one-out single past the shortstop to put the Eagles back in front 4-3.

Graviett's two-run triple and Tyler Cookson's sacrifice fly to center provided three welcome insurance runs.

Graviett, Bickings, Nathan Seyer and Matt Seyer all had two of Oran's 10 hits off Engle (13-2). The Orioles ace allowed six earned runs with no walks and four strikeouts.

Graviett (8-1) completed the victory with his seventh strikeout of the game, igniting an enthusiastic celebration by the Eagles.

"I don't think we'll celebrate too much," Graviett said. "We want the title too much."

After finishing third last year, Oran plays Sparta (20-1) or New Franklin (11-7) at 8 p.m. in attempt to go wire-to-wire at the top of the Class 1 poll for the school's first state title in any sport. Sparta defeated New Franklin in the late semifinal.

"We've had the No. 1 target on our back from Day 1, but it ain't done," Mitch Wood said. "The only way you can get it know is win the next one."